“Regardless of skill, a GM needs to have a good rapport with the crew. Whether it’s as an evil mastermind, a benevolent leader, a weenie, he has to be on very good terms with them.” (Unknown GM)
Our Gamemasters are literally the heart of shipboard activity, they set the tone and pace for life aboard a ship. Even side sims usually utilise elements of the main sim to establish context and place. So being the GM means a greater workload as you usually monitor all the threads on a ship regardless of whether they pertain to your sim or not.
The first and most important thing for you to know before you move past this page is that a GM’s job is to entertain his assigned crew. Contrary to a very popular belief, being the GM doesn’t make you a puppet master, nor a god. The crew isn’t there to do your bidding; you’re there to show the crew a good time.
Being a GM requires juggling ego, talent and humility with a dose of common sense. You have to be tolerant without being a pushover; strong without being overbearing; flexible without being unfocused; and most of all, able to put the needs/wants of the crew above your own personal desires.
A GM also needs to accept that when they agree to GM a ship they are taking on a commitment to that crew and CO. You have the responsibility to post often, read all posts and work with the Command Staff to keep the ship a happy place.
That means not accepting a GM spot when you know that you are going to have to go LOA for a long term within the next few weeks. Planning ahead with the CO as to how things will continue if you do have to go LOA as well as setting in place some sort of contingency plan should an emergency arise. We have all been grabbed by the real life monsters at times, be it illness or computer breakdown. There are ways to cope with this.
Likewise, look at the posting speed on a ship. While the posting requirements may say every three to four days, as GM you will probably need to post more often. Be prepared to post as frequently as required to keep the story moving.
A good GM also possesses great communication skills. It’s important that there is an open dialogue between you and the CO (as well as the XO). You need to be able to bring issues to their attention and they should be responsive and address concerns. As a sim progresses, you may need to change directions or have the crew nudged to post or do something specific. Don’t be shy! The CO wants to hear from you. If they don’t, then it might not be the best pairing, and that is something that can happen. In that situation, you should also be able to talk to the Fleet Command about any issues that aren’t being addressed. Don’t keep them in the dark. They want to be on top of problems before they morph into something detrimental to the ship.
Finally, a GM needs to be professional. To be a successful GM you have to detach yourself from dealing with the people and focus on the characters. If someone you don’t like happens to join the ship, you can’t throw their character out an airlock. Giving into that temptation will quickly lead to being neck deep in complaints, reviews and probably the end of your time as a GM. Remember, giving someone’s character hell just because you feel like it contravenes the first rule of GMing.
Rule Number 1 - Thou shalt Entertain